Following an initial 10-day detention order at Gigiri Police Station, the suspects appeared before the Kibera Law Courts on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
State prosecutors initially requested an additional 10 days to wrap up inquiries, a move defense lawyer David Oyatta strongly opposed. Oyatta argued that the deceased’s granddaughter, Thandie Malaika Wanjiku Gitao, is a student awaiting her upcoming examinations.
After hearing both sides, the court granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) two more working days to finalize the probe. As a result, Regina Wambui Macharia Gitao (Regina Re), her brother Alton Jimmy Macharia, and her daughter Thandie Malaika Wanjiku Gitao all remain in police custody as detectives complete their investigation.
Meanwhile, Thandie’s boyfriend, Immanuel Munyeki, who detectives initially arrested as a fourth suspect, walked free after DPP Renson Ingonga ordered his release due to a lack of evidence connecting him to the killing.
The investigation centers on events that unfolded on the night of October 30, 2026, at Macharia’s residence in Nairobi’s Loresho Ridge Estate. According to investigators, Dorita confronted her granddaughter, Thandie, after finding her in a bedroom with her boyfriend, Immanuel Munyeki.
Dorita ordered Thandie to leave the house and telephoned her son, Alton (also referred to in court records as Antony) Jimmy Macharia, for assistance.
Detectives allege that after stepping outside briefly, Thandie returned and remained locked inside the house with her grandmother for roughly an hour before family members discovered Dorita’s body.
An autopsy performed at Lee Funeral Home by a team of three pathologists, led by government pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia, determined that the 86-year-old died from excessive bleeding. The post-mortem examination uncovered severe injuries, including more than 20 sharp-force wounds to her neck and face, defensive cuts on her hands, blunt-force trauma to the back of her head, and a broken left arm.
When Gigiri DCI detectives processed the crime scene, they recovered a bloodstained towel alongside three washed knives. Investigators are actively probing allegations that family members attempted to wipe away blood and tamper with physical evidence before alerting the police.
The court scheduled the matter for mention on November 17, 2026, when prosecutors will update the court on the completed investigations.
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